Too many top students miss out on Western for one reason—scholarships somewhere else,
said Betty Farmer, professor of communications. “We cannot compete with other universities
right now when it comes to scholarships. We have great professors and programs, and
it’s a shame scholarship funding sometimes keeps us from attracting the best students,”
said Farmer.

“We can help turn that around through the campaign,” she said. “A lot of us contributing
even a little will add up. I hope every faculty and staff member will join me in contributing
some amount. It’s so trite, but it is true: Together we can make a difference.”

Farmer also encouraged faculty to share with the development office the names of former
students who could now give back. Farmer said Mike Crisp, a communications graduate,
recently contributed to support a public relations conference. “We were thrilled to
receive his check for $500,” Farmer said. “All we had to do was ask.”